Trolley bucket installation



March 1, 1932. H, HALLENBECK 1,848,009

TROLLEY BUCKET INSTALLATION Filed Nov. 15. 1950 6 SheepsSheet l INVENTOR BY/Wag? ATTORNEY/5 March 1, 1932. H. E. HALLENBECK 1,848,009

TROLLEY BUCKET INSTALLATION Filed Nov. 13, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 'iilki'u" *1 E 3 ALE l ATTORNEYS- March 1, 1932. H. E. HALLENBECK 1,848,009

TROLLEY BUCKET INSTALLATION Filed Nov. 15. 1950 e Sheets-Sheet 5' INVENTOR lfEf/kllezded @4 9am ATTORNEYS March 1, 1932. HALLENBECK 1,848,009

TROLLEY BUCKET I NSTALLAT ION Filed Nov. 15, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HE/[Meci J MM ATTORNEYS March 1, 1932. H. E. HALLENBECK 1,848,009

TROLLEY BUCKET INSTALLATION Filed Nov. 13, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY lgyma%w AT'TORNEYS March 1, 1932.

H. E. HALLENBECK ,0

TROLLEY BUCKET INSTALLATION Filed Nov. 13. 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet e F" 7 449 fl lNVENTOR rials-handli'ngjplant, genenall-y like the plant Patented Mar. 1, 1932 I HAROLD EL nnmanmz'nox; eF-imnsoer, NEW YoIiK; essirenonmo GIFEORU-WOODL com Peeler; on HUDSON; NnwYenx,

Aj-OORPORAETHEQN- Ont-NEW ion-K Bec Em INSTALLATION Application;fi1ed.Ne3vember 13, 1930 Serial No. 495,480,. r

This. invention relates toiinprovements in trolley buck'et iiistallations' and among other objects, aims to provide means secured to the V trolley, such means however, interterring in, no way withlth'e bucketand permitting 1mmedi'ate lowering v thereoffi The invent-ion provides means which may be used whatever the angular relationship of the monorail to thepit or pocket in which the bucket is loaded. In the .accompanyingdrawings of three embodiments of the-invention, r

Mg. 1 .is' a vertical sectional elevation through a materialshandlingyplant of the trolley bucket type wherein theip it is at right angles to the vertical plane of the monorail, showing the trolley equipped with a structnrewhich will" prevent relativefmiovement offthe elevated bucket; L

, Fig, 2 is .]a side elevation onfan enlarged scaleshowing. the lower-part oft-he trolley,

also the bucket uidingq and .holdin struct t9 ture, the upper part of'the bucketibe'ing shown in light lines; V

Fig. 3 'is-anelevation ,at r'ightangles to Fig.2; 7 f f a Fig. lis a side elevationof a bucket guiding and holding structure which is V c'l's'igned for buckets which descend into pits'yor pockets extending ,parallel-Qto the vertical plane of the monoraih the bail and iipp'er part of the bucket 'heingshown in light lines Fig. 5 is anend elevation of'the parts of 4,.the monorail being in section;

Fig, 6 is a top plan View of a small mateofFi'g'; 1, and on the same scale, outwith the pit or pocket at an acute angle-- to the vertical plane of the monorzailithe covers of the bins being! omittedto show the bucket and its lines :v p is atopplan View showingin light lines the1upper edge ofthe bucket" also the bail and. sheave of the bucket, and'i-n heavy lines the bucket-guiding. and holding attachment wvhichPis' used [with the arrangement I p 1 monorail. 'When the bucket 'is-over the hint Fig. Sis a side elevationzfromthe right-side of Fig. 7.1 If i i Referring particularly; to Figs. *1 and 6, there is shown'a small materials-handling plant comprising three storage bins or silos "10, a pit 11', a bucket 'lfi trolley 1'8", monorail 14, hoist line 15, traverse line 16,- and bonnterweight line 17. 'Materials such'as'sand,

gravel, coal, coke and the like are discharged, v

preferably by gravityirom 'a railroad car (not shown) on ai s'i'din'g 18",in'toa'hoppjer 19,

1 1 1 mm ewes 5 from the "lowenportionofwhieh the materials flow when permitted by a swinging gate 20 un'der.the"'c0nt1f"ol"of the operator: The gate'has an extension chute 21 for therma-tefrials to flow through, and 'chute21 enters the upper p'artof the bucket; when the latter is loweredinto the pit, so asto fill the bucket.

When the bucket has-it s load, it ishoisted' by hoist line 15, which leadsto ahoist'drum- 22 jdrfivenby a motor 23. Spacedguides" 24' 1ecated at the side ofthe piteo-operat'e" with rollers 25 on the bucket to hold the bucket against-tipping; or twisting on its line, when hoisted." The bucket; when starting upwardlytcloses the gate its engagement'with arms 26 011 the chute'21. 1

When the bucket is hoistedl to' a point heneath the .trolley,]it is guided and held'by a structure which is' desori'bedfl hereinafter.

'Tlie trolley now moves in one direction-"or the other along the'monorail'14; :r'ollers'l27 V (Figs. 2 and supporting the trolley and travelingiover'the lower flangesofi themonorail; The tfolley snpp'ortstwo vertical sheaves 28, -29 (Flor. 2) by; which the hoist line is supported,;wl1ile thebuoket 'hasash-eave' 30 on its bailfil by which it is-supported on the hoist line: Traverse of the trolley jand' "bucket isefiected pull i-ngf-in one directi'on'or. theother on the'tra've'rse line 1'6, both'ends otwhich are secured to -trolley 18. Preferablythere are two groovedtraverse' drums 32, 33 (Fig 6) oneof which is driven'by aniot'or 34, and thetr'averse line is wrapped"ahontboth' drums so' asto' heire- 'ciprocated when theme/tor isdrive'n-"in opposite' directions, thereby tomove' the'trol Y ley" and bucket back" end "fo i' thunder. the

V bucket.

or pile where its load is to be deposited, the traverse line is held stationary, while the hoist drum pays out the hoist line, letting the bucket descend by gravity. The bucket has trip pads (Fig. 1) which, when they come in contact with the top of the pile of material, trip the latches which hold the bottom of the bucket closed, allowing the bottom to open and the material to flow out by gravity. The bucket is then hoisted to contact with the trolley structure, the trolley is moved back to a position over the guides 24L leading to the pit and stopped, nd the bucket is lowered to filling position adjacent the gate. 20. Just befor the bucket reaches the bottom of the pit, its bottom is closed by contact with anabutment 36, 1).

it will be understood that while a pit is shown for receiving a load from a siding which is on the ground level, where an elevated siding is necessary, because of the contour of the site of the plant, a poo ret wholly above the ground level(except forits foundations) will be employed.

' lhe above brief description of a typical plant and the operation of the bucket which fills the silos will make clear the following fact: during each cycle of the bucket, it must be started twice and stopped twice in its traverse. N ow the bucket is suspended from a flexible cable or rope by a sheave which rotates or travels over the hoist line during the traverse. Hence each time the trolley starts and stops, the bucket tends to swing,

and unless prevented does swing, beneath thetroliey. Theoretically this swinging is in the vertical plane of the monorail, as 1t.1s set up by the inertia and momentum of the bucket which moves beneath the monorail; but actually, the swinging is frequently lat eral with respect to the monorail, as well as longitudinal, and often the bucket swin 's on the pivots of its bail as well as on the hoist line by which it is carried. This. swinging is most undesirable, because it greatly slows up the operation of the bucket, it is dangerous to lower the bu ket while swinging.

. In the pending N. H. Towne application,

Serial No. 146,890, filed Nov. 8, 1926, assigned to the'assignee of this application, a trolley bucket installation similar to the present one is described, wherein the trolley and bucket have buffers interposed between them to check swinging of the bucket beneath the trolley.

The buffers are very effective to check swinging of the bucket longitudinally, or in the vertical plane of the monorail, but are ineffective to check lateralswinging of the Indeed, so far as I am aware, no one heretofore has devised means interposed between the trolleyand bucket to check and stop all swinging of the bucket and thus make the bucket move with the trolley, as though rigidly secured thereto. The present invention provides such means, and also provides means for guiding the bucket, as it rises to its uppermost position beneath the trolley, to assume the proper angular position relative to the trolley. The three embodiments of the invention to be described perform the functions stated, whether the bucket rises from a pit parallel to the monorail, or at right angles or at an acute angle.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the trolley 13 (thedetails of whose construction are more fully shown in Figs. i and 5) carries a spring buff-er structure generally similar to the on described in the aforesaid Towne application and including four vertical coil sorings 40, each mounted on a vertical rod 41 which is received within a spacing sleeve 42 passing through a cross bar 4E3, there being two of said cross bars i3 at the opposite-ends of the trolley. At the lower end of each sleeve 12 is a foot piece 44 providing convenientmeans for attaching a horizontal cross member, preferably in the form of achannel Two alined, spaced channels 46 are secured beneath chair-- nel 1-5 (Fig. 3) andproj'ect beyond the same. Secured to the outer ends of channels 46 are vertical channels 4? while diagonal braces 4E8 are secured at their lower ends to channels t? and at their upper ends to cross bars 45, as well as to the channels 461 at the inner ends of said channels. The diagonals 48 thus converge upwardly, and being made preferably of angle iron, provide upwardly inclinedl flanges which serve as guides for the ball 31 of the bucket, as will be understood by referring to Figs. land 3. The top of the bail 31 may strike either of the inclined surfaces provided by the inner flanges of the angles 48, and as there are two such angles at each end of the trolley, the bail is turned, causing the bucket to turniuntil the vertical plane of the bail is brought into the vertical plane of the trolley sheaves 28 and 29, in the embodiment of Figs. 1-3. The top of the ball 51 is then brought against the undersides of the spaced channels 4-5, as shown in Fig. 8.

tending between the vertical channels l? are horizontal channelsflS) and the union between these members is preferably strengthened by employing gussets 50 at the corners. Wooden strips 51 may be secured to the channels 49, fitting the space between the webs thereof, as clearly shown in 3. The wooden strips 51 provide replaceable contact members for contacting with the'upper edges of the bucket The trolley construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is especially designed for buckets vhich descend into pits or pockets at right angles to the vertical plane of t 1e monorail, as shown in Fig. 1. In some instances, the pit is alined with the series of storage bins 10 and p the bucket descends from oneend of the 1no110- rail into the pit and rises again with its bail at right angles to the monorail instead of parallel thereto as in the arrangement of Figs.

changes are necessary to makegthe structure 4 thereto 5).

:inesgoos 1 monorail. A trolley construction. particularly adapted for, .whatar-e .known. as parallel? installations, that is, where, the. pit runs p ar alielwiahthe monoraihis shown in Figs. 14: and 5. In these figures, the partswhich are similar to those. parts illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3 aredesignate'df by the same reference numerals, even thoughflslight dimensional depending from the. trolley hold the bucket against/any, movement; v .f

i In Figs. 4 and5,' thenconverging diagonal members 48-are parallelgt-o the nionor'aihso thatithe bail 31 is. guided atqright angles to the monorail and will pass upbetzween the diagonal channels 48'; and will be turned by said diagonals untiltheedges of the bucket aresubstantially. incontact with the wooden strips'5l. The vertical channels 47 are secured together bymeans oflongitudinalhorizontal members 52. Secured to the upper sides ofthe channels 52 are additional channels 53 (Fig. 4). which greatly strengthen thelongitudinal member-s52, The cross.channels 45 extend across thetops of-the longitu- -dinal,channels52-substant-iall at the ends hereor" and angle pieces 55. (Fig. 5) aresecured to tl1e.uprights 47 and'to the, cross channels 45 and also to the lo, 1 gitudinal channels 52; to brace vthe structure at the .four upper corners. The verticallymovable membersconsistingof the sl-eeves42 and rods 41 are'secured to; the channels 45 by foot pieces in thetwo constructionsshown in FigsQ, 3, 4 and 5, the ball of the bucket, during holstng, usuallystrikes oneof vthe guldlng memhere 48 and then the diagonally opposite guidinginember and isquickly straightened until t'occupics a'vertieal pos tion either parallel with themonorail Fig. 2) or at right, angles members 45' or 52 is lifted against the resistanceof springs4Q, whose lower ends bear 4 against washers 56 (F g, 4) at the topsof the "sleeves 42 The upper ends of the springs40 about plates 5? which are rigidly fixed upon tl e trolley at each end thereof, as shown in Fig; 4, and whichextend'crosswise oi the trolley as shown in Fig. 5. The springs, 40

thus tend to hold the lower trolley structure in the position shown, but may be compressed when the sleeves 42 and rods 41 arein'ovecl upwardly through'the plates 43'and- 57. Thus the force of any blow delivered by the bail on the lower trolley structure is expended inz contr-acting thefour powerful. springs 40,; which absorb the j. shock and. protect the trolley.

Furthermore,;the springs act individually at zeach ofi theiourcornersot thelower structure V] hen the bail trikes the, uppernienibers 45 (Fig.3;) 01152 (Fig. 4) the entirestructure which is secured to the anus said; structure 'substantiallyimIriQ-vr able, whiletyielding-tto heayystressesi i As the vertical members 47: ,are'ofesubstantially the same lengthas therheigh ofhe bail 31, it, follows ,thatjwhenathe topofjrthe' i bail is centered zbetweenthe guidese48', twQrQ the' upper; edges of; the bucket are in ifiont'a t or substantially. in ;.contact with their wooden strips 51;; and asthese. wooden stripsolarelalways parallel to thevertiealgplane of thebail,

, which is pivoted asat 5,8;to swirigaboutghQrizontalypivots, it'follows', that any tendency of the: bucket ,to swing, onigthet pivots of; the

fbaillisi checked by contact of theupperredges ofithebucket with the strips :51; This is true constructional Fig. ,iLoag -t d -nal wi a ing. of thebucket, thatis, swinging iii-the I the upper edge of-lthe, bucketgwith the rela plane, of the monorail,- is impossiblein the tiyely, long: strips 51, and the great resistance entered by; the spring-s40 to ovierconiegany thrustagainst said stri-ps.' Lateral swinging of the .bu'cket for any length of time is j-i-Inpossible, in the constructioniof Fig. 4,;for;the

same. reasons. A svneitherlateral norslongitud-lnal swinging-1s possible tor any length of time in either construct on, itfol-lowsthat the. bucket is' substantially, rigidly held i against, thehundersided of the lower trolley j structure and is almost ilnlnovable,eyen=when the trolley, motor is started: quickly and stopped suddenly. Any slight swinging which maybe set up anydir ction re pl nsive to excessive stresses: is very quickly checked by the four powerful springs, which act through the lower trolleystructure to dampen and stop the swinging 0f the .bucket.

In longitudinal swinging of te bucket, the I two springs at on'eend of=thestr olley will act, followed by the two springs at the op 'posite end ofthe 'troll-ey-,,'wh-ilein lateral swinging of the bneket the two-springs-on one side of -;tlie trolley v will act and ,thengwthe two springs-on the opposite, side will Ef-unctionp' In. Fig, 6 there is shown what is known as an angle? installation, wherein the pit extends'at an acute angleto the monorail; In this instance, it would benecessary to turn:th ;e bucket about a verticalaxis to bring its bail either at right angles to or parallel with the vertical plane of the monorail. Such twisting and; turning of the bucket would be very undesirable for sevleralreasons, andin the illustrated; construction the, bucket is not turned at all but is hoisted; from theguides' Without change in its angular position to a position adjacent the lower trolleyfstructure and is then held against turning or swinging in any directlon. To accomplish this result,

the lower trolley gstructure 1 is particularly constructed; to v receive the 31 and guide it monorail.

and hold it at an acute angle to the vertical plane of the monorail, as shown in 8.

Secured to the lower ends of the sleeves 4 2 are the two channels to each of which are secured a pairof channels and 61, said channels being spaced apart as shown in Fig. 8 to receive the bail 31 between their ends. There are vertical channels 4:? at each of the four corners of the structure secured to the iorizontal channels 60, 61. Diagonal channels 62 and 63 meat the opposite ends of the structure and are so placed as to guide the bail 31 into the proper an ular position relative to the trolley. Theangle which the bail assumes relative to the monorail, as shown in Fig. 6, is the complement of the angle of the longitudinal axis of the pit relative to the Thus the bucket, when elevated andlowered from its guides, is not turned or twisted about a vertical axis unless the hoist line has a tendency to turn the bucket, in which case the bail strikes two of the guides 62, 63 as the bucket is hoisted to its uppermost position. When the bail abuts the two channels 45, the bucket is securely held against swinging on the bail pivots, also against swinging onthe hoist line, and furthermore, cannot rotate about a vertical axis, due to the centering action of the two converging guides 62, 63. r

The described constructions provide a bucket guiding and holding attachment for trolleys which is economically manufactured, which may be adapted to old installations, and which substantially obviates relative movement between the bucket and trolley during traverse of the trolley, yet permits immediate lowering of the bucket at any time and place desired.

Obviously the present invention may be embodied in many forms not illustrated, and may be employed with buckets of various constructions, including buckets with bails made partly from chains or other flexible'mernbers extending between some portion of the bucket and the cross-bar or other member which supports the sheave. 4

hat I claim is 1. In combination, a trolley having two spaced vertical sheaves; a bucket having a pivoted bail a sheave mounted on the bail; a hoist line passing 0 the two sheaves on the trolley and under the sheave on the bail; a spring buffer structure mounted on and depending'from the trolley; and a framework secured to and depending from the buffer structure, so that when struck by the bucket it will yield and compress the springs of said buffer structure said framework being substantially in contact with the upper edges of the bucket and in contact with the bail when the bucket is hoisted to its uppermost position. i

2. In combination, a trolley having two spaced vertical sheaves; a bucket having a pivoted bail; a sheave mounted on the bail; a hoist line passing over the two sheaves on the trolley and under the sheave 011 the bail; a spring buffer structure mounted on and depending from the trolley; and a framework secured to and depending from the buffer structure, so that when struck by the bucket it will yield and compress the springs of said bulfer structure; said framework being substantially in contact with the upper edges of the bucket; said framework having upwardly converging guide members for directing the bail of the bucket toward the final position which it is to occupy when the bucketis hoisted to its uppermost limit.

3. In combination with a bucket having a bail; a hoist line for elevating the bucket by means of its bail; a trolley supporting the hoist line so as to permit traverse of the trolley and hoisting of the bucket independently; a shock-absorbing structure carried upon the trolley and engaged by the hail of the bucket when the latter is hoisted; means secured upon said shock-absorbing structure to guide the bucket by means of its bail, as tl e bucket is hoisted; and a framework also secured to said shock-absorbing structure to contact with the upper edge of the bucket, thereby to hold the bucket against swinging in any direction.

In combination with a bucket having a bail; a hoist line for elevating the bucket by means of its bail; a trolley supporting the hoist line so as to permit traverse of the trolley and hoistinx of the bucket independently; and a framework secured upon the lower side of the trolley and having means contacting with the bail as the bucket nears its uppermost position for turning the bucket until it assumes the proper angular position relative to the trolley; said framework having members which are substantially in contact with the upper edge of the elevated bucket, thereby to hold the bucket-against swinging in any direction.

5. ln-combination, a bucket; a hoist line for the bucket; a trolley supporting the hoist line; and a framework secured to and depending from the trolley and contacting with the upper edges of the bucket when the bucket is elevated to a point adjacent the trolley, providing a rigid abutment against which the bucket is held by the hoist line from swinging in any direction relative to the trolley. V

6. In combination, a four-sided bucket having a bail pivotally attached to two opposite sides adjacent the top; a hoist line supporting the bucket by its bail; a trolley supporting the hoist line; and a framework secured to anddepending from the trolley and adapted to contact with the bail at two spaced points at the top thereof and also adapted to contact with the upper edges of 7 the bucket to which the bailis'not attached; and a spring buffer at each end of the trolley,

the two sides of the bucket to which the bail is not attached. I

7. In combination, a four-sided bucket having a bail pivotally attached to two opposite the springs of which are compressed by upward'blows of the bucket or its bail against" Y two guides for thebucket bail, each; guidesaid framework. V j I V 8. In combination with a trolley for trolley bucket systems having a pair of vertical sheaves at its opposite ends; a spring buffer structure comprising'two vertical coil springs carried at either end of the trolley on opposite sides of the sheave; a horizontal member connected to two vertical members at either a end of the trolley, the two verticalmembers being adapted to compress the correspond ing coil springs when moved upwardly by upward movement of the horizontal'memher; a pair of downwardly diverging'guide members secured at their upper ends to each 7 horizontal member; and a pair of bucketengaging members each secured to two of the guide members and extending substantiallyhorizontally and being so spaced as to be engaged by two opposite upper edges of V the bucket when the bucket is hoisted close to the trolley, the guide members beingadaptedv to straighten the bucket relative to the trolley by engagement with the bail of the I bucket. I s 7 9. In combination with a trolley for trolley bucket systems having a' pair of vertical sheaves at its opposite ends; a spring buffer structure comprising two vertical coil springs connected to two vertical sleeves' which are at either end of the trolley,the two vertical sleeves being adapted to compress the corresponding coil'springs when moved upwardly by upward 'movement of the horizontal v frame; a framesecured to and depending from the horizontal frame-and comprising comprising two upwardly converging mem bers of unequal length secured to the hori-,

.zontal frame at their upper ends and spaced apart'at said upper ends to admit the bucket bail; the lower ends of the guiding'members being securedto a pair of horizontal members for engaging the upper edges of the bucket; the guides being .so constructed and. arranged that the bail of the bucket-inay extend at an acute angle to the vertical plane of the trolley and may be hoisteduntil its top engages said horizontal frame, being guided during such hoisting by contact near its opposite ends with said upwardly converging membersr V 4 In testimony that I claim the foregoing as own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

HAROLD E. HALLENBECK.

' carried at either end of the trolley on oppo- V site sides of the sheaves; a horizontal frame I connected to two vertical sleeves which are at either end of the trolley, the two vertical sleeves being adapted to compress the corly by upward movement of the horizontal frame; a pair of vertical members secured at 6 responding coil springs when moved upward their upper ends to the opposite ends of the frame and extending downwardly; a horizontal bucket-edge-engaging member secured to the lower. ends of each pair of vertical 7 members, said bucket-edge-engaging members being spaced apart the distancebetween the two opposite upper edges of the bucket to which the bucket bail is not attached; and

a pair of spaced guiding members secured at the lower ends to each of the bucket-edgeengaging members and extending upwardly to the frame to which they are secured at a substantially central point; the two guiding members ,on either side of the trolley formv ice 

